Plural tone duck call



May 1, 1951 R. J. FAHEY 2,551,367

PLURAL TONE DUCK CALL Filed Nov. 24, 1947 FIG. I. 8

INVENTOR'.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE PLURAL TONE DUCK CALL Robert J. Fahey, St. Louis, Mo.

Application November 24, 1947, Serial No. 787,766

Claims.

My invention relates to duck calls and has for its principal object a duck call which can be used to sound. either of two distinct tones or to sound the two tones simultaneously. The invention has as a further object means for permitting easy adjustment of the reed to vary the tone and means for preventing the accumulation of moisture on the bill portion of the call. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The invention comprises the provision of a bill extending centrally of a mouthpiece member and having a reed adjustably mounted On each face thereof. The invention further consists in the duck call and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a duck call embodying my invention with a portion broken away to show detail,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an end view of one end of the duck call; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the other end of the duck call.

The duck call comprises a body member with a bill 2 projecting therefrom, a reed 3 on the top of said bill, a reed 4 on the bottom of said bill and a tubular mouthpiece 5 sleeved over a cylindrical seat 6 provided therefor on the end of the body.

The bill 2 projects centrally from the body and is provided with longitudinal channels or recesses I in the top and bottom thereof, one under each reed, said reeds 3 and 4 resting upon flat marginal portions 8 of said bill on either side of said channels l. The mouthpiece 5 engages the side edges 9 of the bill 2, so that the bill extends diametrically of the mouthpiece 5 and divides it into an upper passageway II] of substantially semi-cylindrical section and a similar lower passageway The reeds 3 and 4 extend into slots I2 provided in the cylindrical seat portion 6 of the body and are held in position by means of. spring clips I3 or other suitable material. The tone of each reed 3 and 4 may be varied by adjusting its position longitudinally of the bill, that is, by varying the length of the vibrating portion of the reed. Each reed, preferably, is provided with rack teeth I4 engaged by gears I5, I5 mounted on spindles IS, IS, each of which is provided with screw-drive heads II, I! countersunk in bill 2 2 which may be rotated by a screw-driver after removal of mouthpiece 5. The reeds are, therefore, capable of being very accurately adjusted in slot |2 to thereby vary the tone of each of the reeds.

The end portion ll of the bill is tapered, so

that the end of each reed overhangs an inclinedsurface of the bill.

Bores I8, which are cut on an incline in the bill underneath the edges of the reeds, open into the longitudinal central channels I of the bill and the tapered end portion ll of the bill is provided with longitudinal grooves I9 in the top and bottom for releasing reeds from the reed seat in the event the reeds adhere thereto.

The bores I8 are continued into the rear end of bill 2 as bores 20, 20. Rotatable relative to the rear end of the body I is a cap 2| secured thereto by means of a screw 22. The cap has three apertures 23, 23, 23 cut therein, as illustrated, and is adjustable to three positions so that either a high or low pitch call may be made or a combination low and. high call may be made depending upon the adjusted position of a cap 2 I. The adjusted position of cap 2| is maintained by detent mechanism 24 and the degree of rotation of cap 2| is limited by pin 25 set in body I that cooperates with slot 26 cut in the forward portion of cap 2|, the slot in this instance being of the circumference at the open end of cap 2|. The shoulders of slot 26 selectively engage pin 25, thereby limiting rotational movement.

It will be clear that either of two tones may be produced by blowing into the mouthpiece 5. When the cap 2| is adjusted to one position the passageways 1, I8, 20 are clear, the reed 3 will sound and passageways I, I8, 20 in which reed 4 is located will be blocked off. When cap 2| is adjusted to a second position reed 4 will sound because the passageway in which it lies will be clear and the passageway in which reed 3 lies will be blocked. When cap 2| is adjusted to a third position, a combined tone will be produced by blowing because both passageways will be clear. These calls are made by the selectively aligning of apertures 23 with one of bores 20, 20, or with both of them.

The bores I8 and the longitudinal grooves I9 prevent moisture from accumulating on the bill and for allowing air to get underneath the reed and release it in the event the reed adheres to the bill.

Obviously, numerous changes may be made without departing from the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

What I claim is:

1. A duck call comprising a body member provided with a pair of bores; a bill projecting from the body member; a pair of reeds mounted on said bill; a mouthpiece surrounding said bill, said bill having a shallow recess underlying each reed that connects with one of said bores; means to change the pitch and volume of sound produced by each reed; and means to enable either one or both of said reedsto =be sounded.

2. A duck call comprising a body member; a bill projecting therefrom; a pair of reeds on said bill; adjustable means to enable either one or both of said reeds to be sounded; 'a mouthpiece surrounding said bill; and means to adjust each reed to produce a .tone having the desired pitch and volume.

3. A duck call comprising a body having a bill projecting therefrom; a pair of reeds mounted on said bill; a mouthpiece surrounding said bill; adjustable means to enable either one or both of s'aid reeds to be sounded; means to change the pitch and volume of sound produced by each reed; and slot means formed in said bill to prevent accumulation of moisture therein and enabling air passing through to release-reeds from the bill when the reeds adhere thereto.

4. A duck call comprising a body member provided with a plurality of bores and having a plurality of reed receiving portions thereon; a bill projecting from said body member; a reed anchored in each of said portions and supported on said bill; a mouthpiece surrounding said bill; said bill having a recess under each reed that connects with one of said bores; means to change the pitch and volume of sound produced by each reed; and means mounted on said body member to enable any one or all of said reeds to be sounded by selectively uncovering any one or all of said bores.

5. A duck call comprising a body member provided with a plurality of bores and having a plurality of reed receiving portions; a bill projecting from said body member; a reed anchored on each of said portions and supported on said bill; a mouthpiece surrounding said bill said bill having a recess under each reed that connects with one of said bores; means mounted on said body member to enable any one or all of said reeds to be sounded by selectively uncovering any one or all of said bores; and means to longitudinally adjust the reeds in said portion relative to said bill to vary the pitch and volume of the sound emitted by each of said reeds.

ROBERT J. FAHEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,280 Le Blane June 16, 1853-1 504,354 Lindstrom Sept. 5, 1893 825,610 Olt July 10, 1906 2,052,926 Frisk Sept. 1, 1936 

